Solidified soil
（Excel soil）
Seedling raising type
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Excel Soil Seedling type
This is a cultivating soil that greatly contributes to the overall labor saving of raising seedlings.
It is now possible to transplant young flower bed seedlings and cut flower seedlings, which was difficult with conventional seedling cultivation soil, and it is also expected to improve seedling quality and yield by taking advantage of the ideal physical structure of the cultivation soil.
Features of Excel Soil seedling raising type
●It is possible to transplant young seedlings of items that do not like root curling (tape roots), and quality improvement can be expected.
●It not only has better drainage than conventional soil, but also has sufficient water retention capacity, which simplifies irrigation management.
●It has excellent moisturizing properties and is fixed, making it excellent for transportation, storage, and store management.
Comparison of lisianthus roots
Left: Strains using conventional cell seedlings
Right: Young seedling transplanted using Excel soil
Seedlings can be pulled out with tweezers, etc., and can be transplanted to the field before root wrapping.
Excel tray
The Excel soil used for raising seedlings uses the "Excel Tray."
Seedling：512・406・288・200・128・72cells
cutting：200・128・72cells
| Tray name | Excel Tray512 | Excel Tray406 | Excel Tray288 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cells(short side x long side) | 512（16×32） | 406（14×29） | 288（12×24） |
| Size(short side x long side x height mm) | 282×542×25.4 | 282×542×25.4 | 282×542×32.0 |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） | 7.7 | 8 | 8 |
| 1 cell container（㏄） | 3 | 3.9 | 8.9 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | without | with | without |
| weight（ｇ） | 510 | 430 | 530 |
| Excel Tray200 | Excel Tray128 | Excel Tray72 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cells(short side x long side) | 200（10×20） | 128（8×16） | 72（6×12） |
| Size(short side x long side x height mm) | 282×542×44.8 | 282×542×43.5 | 282×542×49.0 |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| 1 cell container（㏄） | 12 | 20.4 | 46 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | with | without | without |
| weight（ｇ） | 510 | 420 | 390 |
Excel Tray is an environmentally friendly polypropylene tray that emphasizes durability, workability, and recyclability.
For one-way, use a tray made by Ando Chemical.
Seedling：512・406・288・200・128
cutting：288・200・128
Flat：72・32
| Tray name | 32 | 72 circle |
|---|---|---|
| cell hole shape | circle | circle |
| Size(long side x short side x height mm) A×B×C |
545×280×54 | 545×280×44 |
| Cells(short side x long side) | 32（4×8） | 72（6×12） |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） |
12 | 10 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | without | without |
| Tray name | 72 square | 128 DP |
|---|---|---|
| cell hole shape | square | square |
| Size(long side x short side x height mm) | 545×280×46.5 | 545×280×48 |
| Cells(short side x long side) | 72（6×12） | 128（8×16） |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） | φ10 | φ8 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | without | with |
| Tray name | 200 | 288 |
|---|---|---|
| cell hole shape | square | square |
| Size(long side x short side x height mm) | 545×280×40 | 545×280×39 |
| Cells(short side x long side) | 200（10×20） | 288（12×24） |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） | 8 | 7 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | without | without |
| Tray name | 406 DP | 512 I |
|---|---|---|
| cell hole shape | square | octagon |
| Size(long side x short side x height mm) | 545×280×25.5 | 545×280×22 |
| Cells(short side x long side) | 406（14×29） | 512（16×32） |
| Bottom hole diameter（㎜） | 7 | 6 |
| Center rib diameter (with/without) | with | without |
Case study
Lisianthus
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The first item I tried was Lisianthus.
Lisianthus seeds are smaller than poppy seeds, so they cannot be sown directly into the field.
Therefore, transplant the seeds when they grow to the extent that they are sown in the seedling box.
However, lisianthus is a tap-rooted plant like burdock, so if the roots become bent or curled up in the nursery box, they will not grow as they should even after transplanting, and will not flower or stem. It affects the length etc.
The only way to solve this problem is to transplant the plant before root wrapping.
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By using Excel Soil, we were able to improve the workability of planting, contributing to the production of high-quality flowers.
Furthermore, this production technology using Excel Soil has been spread throughout the country with the cooperation of the Okayama Prefecture Agricultural Experiment Station.
Cucumber
Millions of cucumber seedlings are also used each year.
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In recent years, the mainstream of cucumber seedlings is grafted seedlings, and the grafting method is also complicated.
Graft the scion with the rootstock that was sown separately, cut off the base of the rootstock, and use it as a cutting.
After that, it is cured for a while and shipped.
■Improve productivity by effectively utilizing functional materials
Here, Excel Soil contributes to labor savings by taking advantage of its properties.
Compared to conventional potting soil, there is more air space, so cuttings root faster, and since they harden, shipping can be adjusted before they form a root ball.
With these two effects, producers can ship products up to a week earlier than before, and facility turnover is greatly improved.
Pansy
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Labor-saving technology through mechanical transplantation of flower bed seedlings, such as pansies, has been put into practical use.
Strawberry
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Temperature transition of soil
(2012: Hiroshima Prefectural Research Institute of Technology Agricultural Technology Center)
Transition of flower bud differentiation in “Benihoppe” (left) and annual yield (right)
(2012: Hiroshima Prefectural Research Institute of Technology Agricultural Technology Center)
Other excel soil seedlings
 Cyclamen |
 Rose |
 Carnation |
 Cabbage |
Solidified soil is used for over 100 types of plants.
As you can see, solidified soil is used for a variety of plants, but for users it costs more than conventional soil.
Despite this, the benefits of using it include high quality seedlings, improved yield, and labor-saving cultivation.
Benefits of Excel Soil
１．The three-phase distribution of the soil can be ideally controlled.２．Because it is hardened, it is difficult to get clogged, and the important air layer can be maintained for a long time.
３．The polyester fibers act as conduits to even out the moisture in the soil.